1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for retrieving dial data stored in a dial memory, and further to a cellular phone including such a device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a multi-dial memory used in a cellular phone stores therein a plurality of addresses and a plurality of dial numbers associated with each one of the addresses.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of such a multi-dial memory. The multi-dial memory stores three addresses, xe2x80x9cBillxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cDickxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cJohnxe2x80x9d. The first address xe2x80x9cBillxe2x80x9d includes three dial numbers, the second address xe2x80x9cDickxe2x80x9d includes four dial numbers, and the third address xe2x80x9cJohnxe2x80x9d includes two dial numbers.
When such a multi-dial memory is to be retrieved, a user inputs an address. Then, dial numbers associated with the input address are read out of a multi-dial memory, and the thus read-out dial numbers are displayed in a display screen. Since one address is associated with a plurality of dial numbers, a user scrolls a display screen to thereby select a desired dial number.
There is known a device for retrieving a multi-dial memory by analyzing voice or an aural signal. However, this device is accompanied with a problem that it would be impossible to select one of dial numbers stored in a multi-dial memory, and resultingly, two or more dial numbers might be selected. That is, when a dial number stored in a multi-dial memory is to be selected, by analyzing voice or an aural signal, it would be impossible to select a single dial number.
For instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-184027 has suggested a telephone including a first memory storing a plurality of aural patterns in association with a plurality of voices, a second memory storing a plurality of telephone numbers each associated with each one of the aural patterns, a third memory storing a plurality of the voices in association with a plurality of the aural patterns, a voice identifier which compares an input aural pattern to the aural patterns stored in the first memory, and stores the input aural pattern when they are coincident with each other, an automatic dialer which reproduces a voice stored in the third memory in association with the aural pattern coincident with the input aural pattern, and automatically dials a telephone number stored in the second memory in association with the aural pattern, means for deleting selected aural pattern, telephone number and voice each stored in the first, second and third memories, and means for displaying residual capacity of the first, second and third memories.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-88462 has suggested a dialer including a memory storing names in association with telephone numbers, a voice identifier which identifies a voice input by a user, a display device which displays predetermined response data in response to a user, a dial signal transmitter which transmits a dial signal of a target identified by the voice identifier, and a processor which controls the voice identifier, the memory, the display device, and the dial signal transmitter and carries out steps for calling, in accordance with an aural command input by a user. The processor displays in turn a plurality of candidates stored in the memory, in response to a predetermined command.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-95279 has suggested a memory dial controller including a memory having a memory dial area in which names are stored in association with telephone numbers, a sort table in which names are sorted, a transmission history area which stores telephone numbers of transmitters and receivers, a first table storing a sequence of transmitting and receiving calls through the use of a memory dial, and a second table in which telephone numbers are arranged in accordance with a frequency of transmitting and receiving calls.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-147248 has suggested an electronic pocket notebook including means for encoding an operator""s voice, and storing the encoded voice in a memory in association with retrieval data, means for retrieving retrieval data stored in the memory, in accordance with a voice of an operator, means for displaying the thus retrieved candidates, and means for selecting one of the displayed candidates.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-233187 has suggested a telephone exchange system including a plurality of terminals and an exchanger connecting the terminals to each other. Each of the terminals is comprised of first means for inputting characters, and second means for, when characters input through first means constitute a name of a user, transmitting an address associated with the name, to the exchanger. The exchanger receives addresses from the terminals, and connects to target terminals indicated by the received addresses.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for retrieving dial data, which device is capable of shortening a period of time required for retrieving a target dial number.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cellular phone capable of shortening a period of time required for retrieving a target dial number.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method of retrieving dial data, which method is capable of shortening a period of time required for retrieving a target dial number.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device used in a telephone terminal including a dial memory storing at least one address and a plurality of dial data associated with the address, for retrieving one of the dial data, an identifier being assigned to each one of the dial data, the device, on receipt of both a first signal indicative of the identifier and an aural signal indicative of the address, retrieving the dial data in accordance with the received first and aural signals, reading out dial data identified by the first and aural signals, and displaying the thus read-out dial data in a display screen.
For instance, the identifier may be comprised of a number in accordance with which the dial data is arranged.
It is preferable that the device includes (a) a voice-identifier which identifies the aural signal, and (b) a controller which retrieves the dial memory in accordance with both the result of identification carried out by the voice-identifier and the identifier or the number.
It is preferable that the device includes a plurality of digit keys through which the number is input into the device.
The controller may be comprised of (b1) a detector which detects actuation of any one of the digit keys, and (b2) a retriever which retrieves the dial memory in accordance with both the result of identification and a number indicated by one of the digit keys.
It is preferable that the device further includes a voice-input start key, the aural signal being effective only when the aural signal is input into the device after the voice-input start key has been actuated, in which case, the controller may be comprised of (b1) a detector which detects actuation of any one of the digit keys, and (b2) a retriever which retrieves the dial memory in accordance with both the result of identification and a number indicated by the actuated digit key.
As an alternative, the controller may be comprised of (b1) a detector which detects actuation of any one of the digit keys only when the digit key is kept actuated for a predetermined period of time, and (b2) a retriever which retrieves the dial memory in accordance with both the result of identification and a number indicated by the actuated digit key.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cellular phone including (a) a display screen, (b) a memory storing at least one address and a plurality of dial data associated with the address, an identifier being assigned to each one of the dial data, (c) a plurality of digit keys through which the identifier is input, (d) a microphone through which an aural signal indicative of an address is input, and (e) a controller which receives both the identifier and the address, retrieves the dial data in accordance with the identifier and the address, reads dial data identified by the identifier and the address, out of the memory, and displays the thus read-out dial data in the display screen.
For instance, the identifier may be comprised of a number in accordance with which the dial data is arranged.
It is preferable that the cellular phone further includes a voice-identifier which analyzes the aural signal and identifies the address indicated by the aural signal.
It is preferable that the cellular phone further includes a detector which detects actuation of any one of the digit keys, and identifies the number associated with the actuated digit key.
It is preferable that the cellular phone further includes a voice-input start key, the aural signal being effective only when the aural signal is input into the device after the voice-input start key has been actuated.
It is preferable that the cellular phone further includes a detector which detects actuation of any one of the digit keys only when the digit key is kept actuated for a predetermined period of time, identifies the number associated with the actuated digit key, and transmits the thus identified number to the controller.
In still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of retrieving dial data, including the steps of (a) inputting an identifier which identifies one dial data, (b) actuating a voice-input start key, (c) inputting an aural signal indicative of an address associated with a plurality of dial data, (d) retrieving a memory to check whether the memory includes a combination of the identifier and the address, and (e) displaying both the address and dial data identified by the identifier.
It is preferable that the identifier is input in the step (a) by actuating one of digit keys.
For instance, the identifier is comprised of a number in accordance with which the dial data is arranged.
There is further provided a method of retrieving dial data, including the steps of (a) inputting an identifier which identifies one dial data, for a predetermined period of time, (b) inputting an aural signal indicative of an address associated with a plurality of dial data, (c) retrieving a memory to check whether the memory includes a combination of the identifier and the address, and (d) displaying both the address and dial data identified by the identifier.
The advantages obtained by the aforementioned present invention will be described hereinbelow.
In accordance with the above-mentioned present invention, one of dial numbers stored in a memory is selected by both the aural signal and the identifier input through a digit key, for instance. Hence, it is possible to select a desired dial number among a plurality of dial numbers without fail. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to retrieve a target dial number more readily and in a shorter period of time than a conventional device.
The above and other objects and advantageous features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the drawings.